1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to machine tools, and more specifically to a tool shelf magazine, particularly for machine tools or machining centers, for example.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Various tool shelf magazines are known and are preferably used for complex machine tools, such as machining centers and eroding equipment, all of which are capable of carrying out a multitude of different machining processes using different tools. Conventional shelf magazines have a shelf positioned adjacent to the machine tool and a plurality of compartments disposed above each other in predetermined intervals. A plurality of approximately semicircular notches are formed in each compartment and are open on the machine side. Various tools are inserted into the machine side with their tool tapers. A handling system is provided laterally on or adjacent to the shelf. The handling system has a support column shiftable on horizontal rails and a gripper arrangement vertically shiftable on the support column. A movable tool gripper is provided for extracting a specified tool from the magazine and for transporting the tool to a transfer position in which the tool is either directly inserted into the work spindle according to the pick-up principle or transferred to a tool changer. Such shelf magazines having a handling system are known, for example, from European patent 0 319 914 B and German patent publication 100 20 801 A.
German patent publication 39 25 567 A describes a plurality of magazine shelves disposed adjacent to the machine tool on one side and two compartments having a number of tool accommodations. The magazine shelves are individually movable on lateral support rails from a rear stand-by position to a front position, where the individual tools can be taken up by a gripper arrangement that is shiftable on a rigid support frame. The tools can then be inserted into a vertical spindle or a horizontal spindle of the machining center. However, such a tool storage and handling system is relatively complex and requires a greater amount of space adjacent to the machine tool.